


Help WIll Come (That I Promise You)

by Kate_Viche



Series: Tony's Family [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Brief mentions of Steve Rogers - Freeform, Gen, Identity Reveal, Lots of Angst, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Peter Parker does not have a good time, Swearing, Tony Blames Himself, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark is a Good Dad, Tony doesn't know Peter is a teenager, Torture, Until its too late, Waterboarding, he's not nice
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-14
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2019-05-23 11:25:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14933327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kate_Viche/pseuds/Kate_Viche
Summary: Tony Stark had been desperate, running out of time. In a fit of desperation, he had recruited Spiderman to help track down the Avengers. After the incident had passed, they often found solace in each other, and helped repair the public's broken image of the Avengers. There's one problem though.Tony doesn't know who's under the mask.Tony only learns his name in dire circumstances, once they've been captured by a man named Stane. He watches as Spiderman Is tortured mercilessly, and then his mask is taken off, and Tony learns just how young he is.What had he done?





	Help WIll Come (That I Promise You)

**Author's Note:**

> Mentions of torture and guilt. It gets angsty. Also Tony swears. Because who wouldn't once they get kidnapped?

Had Tony known, had he taken the extra measures to secure Spiderman's identity, he would have never put him in this situation.

He curses himself, for the stupid way he had been so careless. He had been lazy, not taking the precautions like he should have when they had cornered the robbers in that warehouse. It had been a trap, one he had let himself be encased in and brought Spider-Man down with him. The EMP they had surrounded around the warehouse had overpowered his suit, shutting it down before he could even register their plan, and FRIDAY's usually reassuring voice had been silenced. It wasn't long before they had surrounded him, yanking off his suit and tearing it to pieces, knocking him out harshly.

Not before Spiderman's screech of pain echoed in his ears.

Once he had awoke, his head was foggy, the room they had been tossed in pitch dark save for the dim light in the corner. His wrists tugged painfully at the chains that trapped his arms above his head, pins and needles crossing up and down them. Heart echoing painfully in his chest, he closed his eyes to control his breathing, repeating the mantra of , ' _you're not there, you escaped, this isn't Afghanistan_ ,' through his head until he wasn't as panicked. Once he was calm, he opened his eyes to observe the room.

He let out a sigh of relief once he spotted Spiderman in the same position as him across the wall. The relief quickly turned to concern at the sight of his arm bent at an awkward angle, yet still being suspended by chains. His broken arm must have caused the cry of pain that Tony had heard before succumbing to darkness. He tried to not let himself be upset, but the familiar sting of guilt stung in his chest at the thought that he could have prevented his friend's pain if he had just not been as careless. Because he let his pride get the better of him, Spiderman had been placed in this predicament.

"Mr. Stark?" Spiderman spoke up, soft and shaky. It was obvious from the high pitched whine in his voice that he was in pain, and worse, petrified.

Tony knew Spiderman was new at this. He hadn't seen the things he had, or experienced the horrors either. This was a situation that he wasn't prepared for, and Tony's heart clenched painfully for him. "We'll be okay, Spiderling. We've got this." It was a weak attempt at comforting the other hero, but it helped somewhat if the way his mask shifted up was anything to go by.

The sound of a door opening drew him out of his guilt-ridden reverie, and he immediately tensed and glared toward the door, preparing to talk to whoever had imprisoned them here. Maybe if he talked long enough, rattled on enough that someone- hopefully Rhodey or Vision- could find them. This was what he was good at, he could do this.

The man who stepped in had his hands cuffed behind his back, relaxed and imposing. It was a pose Tony often found himself exhibiting, but with this man it was much more shell-shocking. What was hidden behind that grin? What was going though his mind? "Mr. Stark," the man grinned, the familiar words spoken with more coldness. "I hope your quarters are to your liking?"

"Yup. I love this concrete floor and the chains were a beautiful touch," Tony snorts, wriggling around his arms with a grin towards the man.

The man smirked nonetheless at Tony's sass. "My name is Stane. I'm sure you have many questions, one of which is why you are here, I assume?"

Tony narrowed his eyes, leaning back against the wall. "That's one of them. The other is what kind of conditioner you use. Does your shampoo do that or is your hair naturally greasy?" Tony took pleasure in the way Stane frowned at him.

"Its come to my attention that the Rogue Avengers have not yet come out of hiding," Stane spoke, cutting to the chase and making Tony's heart turn cold. "You're a smart man, Mr. Stark. You must know where they are." Tony had an idea, but there was no way he'd tell this man. There was no telling what kind of things would happen if Stane knew their whereabouts.

He didn't have any qualms in telling Stane so. "Look, even if I did know where they were, why would I tell you? They're criminals, I want them in jail and I would have had them in there if I knew anything."

Stane didn't seem to buy his bluff. "You're a stubborn man, Mr. Stark. I admire that." He waved his hand toward a mirror on the wall Tony hadn't noticed before, and two other men walked through, dark masks obscuring their faces as they stood behind Stane. "However, if you refuse to cooperate, I'm afraid I'm going to have to... Convince you." Stane's glance to Spiderman had Tony freeze up, eyes widening in panic as he took in Spiderman's terrified stature. Even under the mask, he could tell his partner was absolutely terrified for himself.

"Don't you _dare_ , he had nothing to do with this," Tony snapped, tugging against the chains trapping him. Stane's grin made him unbelievably angry.

"On the contrary, Mr. Stark," Stane chuckled heartedly, before gesturing for the two men to walk forward. Stane ignored Tony's angry yells and Spiderman's scared whimpers, continuing on with a cold grin, "He is merely... A helpful persuasion tactic, if you may. If you refuse to answer my inquires, Spiderman will pay the price." Tony glanced to Spiderman, the way he shook his head, even if the pupils of his mask betrayed his fear. He was so strong, still pushing his bravery to the limit in this situation even with the threat of becoming the bargaining price. How was he still so brave, so resolved to act courageous in the face of villains?

Tony turned back toward Stane. "Go to hell."

Stane chuckled. "I wish you had more intellect, Mr. Stark. Its a shame, I wish you cooperated." He nodded towards the two men, with their hands on Spiderman's shoulders. "You know what to do." They nodded, before unlocking the chains and pulling Spiderman to his feet, ignoring his pained yelp of his still broken arm. They yanked him over to a chair, pushing him harshly down onto it, and Tony took pride in the way the pupils of his mask narrowed in a glare as they chained him back up. "How do you think we should encourage you first? Perhaps a simple, familiar exercise will help motivate you?" Tony didn't have time to contemplate what Stane had meant, before a tub was placed before Spiderman. He didn't have to guess what was inside, because water was dripping from the sides.

"You asshole! Don't you dare do that to him!" Tony yelled in cold furious anger. He dwelled on when he had been dunked before, the feeling of helplessness as the water surrounded him, forcing him to drift in a cold abyss, drifting in and out of consciousness, water choking him, forcing its way down his throat and through his ears, his hearing fading to a dull hum as exhaustion finally set in... He refused to let Spiderman be succumbed to that agony.

Stane merely laid a hand upon Spiderman's head, staring right into Tony's eyes as he uttered the words, "I'm afraid you have no way of stopping me," and dunking Spiderman's petrified face into the water.

Tony's screams fell onto deaf ears, unable to tear Spiderman away from Stane, unable to do anything more than watch as his team member, his _friend_ squirmed and struggled and tried to fight back uselessly, his screams dulled underwater as Stane merely smiled down at him. In a small part of Tony's mind, he wondered if this was how Yinsen felt when the Ten Rings had done the same to him. Had he felt the same guilt and anguish as his humanity was drowned away in the water? Had he screamed hoarsely until his throat seized up in sorrow? Had he held back his tears as his friends dull screams engrained in his skull until they haunted him?

An eternity seemed to pass until Stane deemed Spiderman and Tony had suffered enough, pulling his head up from the water. The hero coughed and wheezed uselessly, water dripping from his mask as he gasped for breath. Tony slumped back in relief, only able to muster a weak glare towards Stane and his two henchmen as they grinned expectantly towards him. "Have you been motivated enough yet, Mr. Stark?" Glancing at Spiderman, he felt hesitation. The enhanced human was coughing weakly, head rolled back in exhaustion as the drowning took every last bit of energy out of him. His screams echoed through his mind, each agonizing second that had passed engrained in his mind forever. He was sure that he would never be able to fully dispel the torture from his mind, and he was sure as hell he'd never forgive himself for putting his friend through it. How could he continue to put Spiderman through it, all for the sake of some fugitives who had broken his trust and left him for dead in Siberia?

Yet Spiderman, in his exhausted and drowned state, still mustered the courage to glace at him tiredly, and offer a soft chuckle and a shake of his head, astounding Tony. How could this man be so brave, so selfless and sacrificing? How could he suffer so greatly and still put on a smile and calm Tony's fears? He was the definition of what a true hero should be, what Steve never was, and Tony had never felt prouder.

And so, with a sneer, Tony spit at Stane's feet and told him, " _Go fuck yourself._ "

Stane's grin turned cold quickly and raised Tony's spirits immensely. "Fine. If you wish to be stubborn your friend will have to pay the price." He stalked towards the door before stopping, and turning around with a sneer. "Oh, before I forget, I best remove this." He walked back towards Spiderman, ignoring Tony's growl of warning and the way Spiderman was wincing and trying to back away. Stane gripped the edge of his mask, and with a grin, said, "Wouldn't want him to choke on the water still on this, would we?" and tugged it off.

Tony's heart stopped.

Spiderman was... God he was just a _kid_. He was a shivering, small and terrified kid. He looked fifteen for god's sake, why was he here?! What the hell had compelled him to run around New York and stopping crime, catching cars with his bare hands and running into bullets? Why did he run into life or death missions with Tony instead of... Wait. Oh god, what had he done? Had he seriously recruited a fifteen year old to help him catch international fugitives? Had he honestly let a kid, a _teenager_ risk himself on a daily basis in nothing but a spandex suit?

"Hey, Mr. Stark," Spider- no, the kid spoke, coughing and avoiding his eyes in shame. Tony thought back to that day on the rooftop, when he had first approached him, and the way he had been so reluctant to come along. Why hadn't he questioned it? Because of his mistakes, his desperation to catch Rogers, he had brought a kid into battle, and now that same kid was paying the price for it.

"My, my, this is a surprise," Stane cheered delightfully, clapping his hands in glee. Tony was disgusted with the grin Stane gave him. "Our dear Spiderman is but a child. Tell me, Mr. Stark, will you continue this petty childish game, or will you continue to drag him down with you?"

Tony couldn't answer.

His lack of answer still satisfied Stane, because he nodded with a grin and left the room with a promise to return, his two lackeys following after him. Silence filled the room once the door closed, drowning them with the reality of the situation, and Tony's guilt overwhelmed him. He glanced over to the kid, his teammate, his friend. God, how had he never known? How had he dragged this kid with him without ever knowing just who he really was.

"It- its okay, Mr. Stark," the kid spoke, coughing softly and God he was so young. "I'll be okay."

This kid was going to be the death of him. How could he muster the bravery to reassure him when he was probably terrified beyond himself? "I know, kid, I know." He sighed, shaking his head and smiled wryly over at him. "Well, since the mask is off, can I know your name?"

The kid chuckled. "I guess there's really no reason not to." He coughed again, before smiling sweetly and Tony's heart clenched at the sight of how young he was. "My name's Peter."

"It's nice to finally know your name, kiddo," Tony replied, trying not to let his voice shake. How he wished Peter had trusted him enough to let him know of his own decision, on better circumstances. He wished he had known before, so Peter wouldn't be in this situation.

The silence engulfed them again. They felt that they couldn't talk, that they couldn't break the small, quiet and comfortable atmosphere they had created for fear that it would be ruined. The looming threat of Stane had them holding back any comments they wanted to make, though they wanted to talk, wanted to discuss this new development. They felt closer to each other, and yet farther away than ever before.

How would they escape from Stane's hold?


End file.
